STEM Pre-Service Education Scholarship Recipients Announced for 2019-20

NC Space Grant is proud to announce the recipients of the STEM Pre-Service Teacher Education Scholarships for the 2019-20 academic year. These teachers-in-training will experience unparalleled access to NASA education specialists and materials, to prepare them to bring NASA knowledge and resources into their classrooms in the future.

The STEM Pre-Service Teacher Education Scholarship program is designed for students enrolled in STEM-related teacher education degree programs at the undergraduate level (pre-service teachers). The objectives of this scholarships are to:

• Promote science education in the K-12 classroom, focusing on improving pre-­college perceptions, understanding and interests in science,
• Promote science education in the K-12 classroom focusing on improving pre-­college interests in pursuit of science education and science careers,
• Assist in the preparation of teachers entering into the K-12 science classrooms, and
• Equip future teachers with NASA content and tools to use in the classroom.

Scholarship recipients are required to complete a series of NASA STEM Digital Badges. The NASA STEM Educator Professional Development Collaborative (NASA EPDC) digital badge content was developed for teachers and students in grades 5-9 and is aligned to Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core. Each badge requires educators to complete a classroom teaching component to demonstrate mastery of content.

Students will participate in a field trip to NASA Langley Research Center in Virginia where they will present a poster of completed module activities at the NASA Langley Office of Education.

The NC Space Grant team is pleased to award STEM Pre-Service Teacher Education Scholarships to the following students, and looks forward to the efforts and innovations they will make in STEM education in their future careers:

Caroline Alexander, North Carolina State University

Myra Gerrell, University of Mount Olive

A.J. Gunter, NC State University

Rachel Jeska, University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Dara Kinkopf, UNC-Charlotte

Hayley McNeill, UNC-Charlotte

Megan Mobley, NC State University

Danielle Neufville, UNC-Charlotte

Alexa Panzano, Belmont Abbey College

Breielle Sheller, NC State University

Victoria Turner, NC State University

Elizabeth Vanegas, NC State University